Ichigo's Rain
by san'Anhamirak
Summary: You were both 16 now, you had fallen hopelessly in love with him...Your dad entered the room.You had been putting up with him for 16 years so you knew what was coming and braced yourself for a beating. Can Ichigo save her? IchigoxO.C.
1. Shades of Grey

**Okay, I was stuck on my other story so I started this one. I hope you like it. I will be working on this story when my other one stumps me so... it may end up with like 50 chapters.**

**I also wish you to know that this has a high rating because this is a romance and will develop into a lemon.**

Ichigo

You had known Ichigo since you were both 9. You had met him the day after his mother died and you two were best friends. You had been walking on the side of the road by the river when you noticed an orange, spiky-haired kid walking by the river. He would pace for a couple minutes, crouch down, then get up and pace again. Curious, you had walked down and talked to him. After you introduced yourselves you found out about his mother and his self-loathing grief.

For months afterward you consoled him, comforted him, and convinced him that there was nothing he could've done to prevent his mother's death. From then on he trusted you with his secrets and you trusted him with yours. You had a lot in common, favorite color, favorite fast food place, most hated class etc. You had so much in common, yet you were both fundamentally different. For example, as you got older, you were both 16 now, you had fallen hopelessly in love with him but you knew him well enough to know that he didn't love you like you loved him. So, you never told him, you kept it secret, and tried to forget about it.

However, the fact that he was in every one of your classes and sat near you in all of them made you cranky because you were forced to think of him and the fact that he would never like you like you liked him _all freaking day_. So by the time school ended you were a bit moody.

You were brooding on this when Ichigo interrupted your musings.

"Oi, Ame." (Ame is Japanese for rain.) "What do you want," you asked moodily. "I've been trying to get you attention for the last two minutes. I was going to ask too if you wanted to come over after school."

You may've loved him but today was a day you _needed_ peace to think. "No, I've got a lot of homework and I have to work today," you lied. You had tried to sound casual and harried but you ended up sounding irritated and anxious.

After you had left Ichigo was still standing by your desk and quietly asked himself, "What's her problem?" Kego chuckled and said, "She's just mad because you can't see what everyone else does so you keep treating her like a friend." "What's wrong with treating her like a friend? And what the hell do you mean I can't see what everybody else does? What am I missing?" "She loves you, dude." And with that Kego left a shocked Ichigo in his wake as he exited the room.

When you got home that night you went straight to your room and turned on one of your favorite songs, you had long since forgotten the name of the song and the band so you just listened to the lyrics. ""crawling in my skin these wounds they will not heal. Fear is how I fall, confusing what is real." You let the angry lyrics fill your head because you knew that if you thought, it would be about Ichigo.

"There's something inside of me that pulls beneath the surface, consuming, confusing. This lack of self- control I fear is never-ending, controlling, I can't seem to find myself again. My walls are closing in." 'Yeah,' you thought, 'I know how that feels.' "Against my will I stand beside my own reflection. It's haunting how I can't seem to find myself again." Okay, the music definitely wasn't helping, so you turned it off just as your dad entered the room.

As per usual he was drunk and pissy. You had been putting up with him for 16 years so you knew what was coming and braced yourself for a beating.

**So what did you think? Pleaz review I wish to know your thoughts!**


	2. Ichigo's Drought

Chapter 2

After all the years of beatings you had become an expert at hiding the cuts and bruises, but last night he had gone for the face as well, beating you soundly and until you were unconscious. When you got to school you just told everyone that you tripped and fell down the stairs last night at home, but Ichigo wasn't fooled. He, being a frequent target knew where injuries like those came from. You ate lunch on the roof with him so at lunch he pulled you aside.

"Ame, where did you get those bruises from?" "Oh, you haven't heard by now? I fell down the stairs last night." "No, you didn't, tell me the truth." "What do you mean," you asked with perfect confusion. "I know those bruises. I get them all the time in fights. Who beat you?" "No one," you said lowering your eyes. You knew he would go spastic if you said who and that would just lead to a worse beating. "Liar." "Listen, just drop it," you said trying to brush past him, but he blocked your way. "I can't drop it, Ame. Not when someone is hurting you like this," Ichigo said, lightly touching the bandages on your arm and face. "I said drop it," you said firmly, making it past him and walking away. Your response had hardened his resolve and he decided to follow you after school. You had never told him where you lived, and since he saw you all day, except after school, he concluded that you were being beaten at home.

After school you , as usual, walked home. You hesitated outside the door before opening it because his car was in the driveway, meaning he was home, another beating. You quickly went to your room, hoping to avoid him. You didn't even turn on your lights of music, hoping not to attract his attention. You just sat on your bed, mot moving, hardly breathing.

It didn't work. "What are you sitting in the dark for, huh? You think you can hide from me you ungrateful little bitch? Just for that I'll beat you harder you fucking brat."

It hurt more because he had just beaten her last night and the cuts and bruises from his rings were sore. Just before she [assed out she thought she saw a shock of orange, spiky hair outside of her window, but it disappeared so quickly she doubted she saw it.

~~~Ichigo~~~

You followed along behind her closely but hiding every so often and tracking her spiritual pressure while skillfully hiding your own.

It turned out that she lived in a rough part of town and her 'fell down the stairs' excuse fell apart when you found out that she lived in a single story house.

You waited until she'd been in the house for a couple of minutes before you searched the windows. The first one was the kitchen, the second obviously belonged to a guy, and you hit the jackpot with the last window. Something was wrong though. Ame was just sitting on her bed, curled up, with the lights out. You started wondering why just as her dad came in and then you understood. He had turned the lights on and you could see him swaying with a beer in one hand. Ame cringed and shrunk back against the wall with a look of fear. Suddenly all the pieces fell into place. The bruises she tried to hide, her avoidance when you asked about where she lived and her family, her reluctance to let you in. He was yelling at her, calling her foul names. Then he was beating her, his rings making cuts wherever they made contact.

She fell backwards towards the window. She stayed looking out of it until the light faded out of her eyes, sinking into unconsciousness. You ran into the house, hell bent on murder.

~~~Ame~~~

Okay, you had to admit that you had kept one vital secret from Ichigo. You were a Soul Reaper. You were afraid of what he would say or that he would think you were crazy if you told him that you could not only see ghosts but that you could also become one.

Your gift came from a Soul Reaper you had found dying after being mortally wounded by a hollow. He gave you his power so that a part of him could live on in you. However, before he gave you his power he made you swear to use it for good, to kill hollows and save souls in his stead.

"I see a kindness in your eyes," he had said, "you know pain and suffering and you wish to keep others from knowing it, too." His words echoed in your head every time you changed form, but you carried a terrible guilt because, although you had kept your promise, you used it as your escape. Whenever the beatings got to be too much to bear you changed, because Soul Reapers can't pass out, and just sadly watched from a corner near the ceiling.

As per usual you had changed when you got tired of the beating. However, this time things didn't go as expected. A minute or so after you left your body, Ichigo burst into the room with a look of murderous rage on that striking face of his. Before you could even blink your dad was out cold on the floor.

Ichigo hurried over to you and put his fingers on the pulse point at your throat. Whatever he found surprised him because he looked distressed and did a quick scan on the room. His gaze came to a stop on you. His eyes raked up and down you from with an ever increasing look of astonishment.

"Ame?" Could he actually _see_you?


End file.
